Aug 31, 2013
Late August and I’m sitting on a hillside in Custer State Park’s southern prairie. As is the case with most folks who visit this state park each year — [1.8 million in 2012] — I’ve come to see the bison. The timing is perfect. The raucous all night revelry of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is past, while the...
Aug 31, 2013
Fast, clear, and cold as ice; the streams of the western Black Hills are my favorite place to look for trout. Although I never catch any really big ones, the trout are always super plentiful and I’ve yet to have a slow day while fishing in The Hills. The past week at Custer State Park has been phenomenal. Temperatures and humidity have been...
Aug 19, 2013
It might be the increase in moisture; it might be the overall cooler night and morning temperatures; or it might be who knows what. But whatever the reason, there’s no denying that this year’s fall mushroom hunt is off to a phenomenal start. Most noticeable, of course, are the sulfur shelves . Most commonly referred to in these parts as...
Aug 17, 2013
Looking for something to do this weekend? You might want to hit the nearest woodland for some fall mushroom hunting. Yea, I know what the date is; but in spite of all that I’m beginning to discover some young and succulent Chicken-of-the-Woods [sulfur] mushrooms. Just emerged and still growing by the second, the mushrooms are soft, tender,...
Aug 16, 2013
The results of the 2013 Mourning Dove Call Count have been released. The annual dove report is compiled by personnel with the Iowa DNR’s Upland Game Program in cooperation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Office of Migratory Bird Management. This year, surveyors reported a 0.9 percent decrease in the number of doves heard; and...
Born in North Central Iowa, Lowell Washburn has enjoyed a lifelong interest in the out of doors. He began photographing wild birds at age 10, and outdoor photography soon became his passion and eventually a career. Washburn is best known for images that portray migratory waterfowl and other wetland wildlife in their natural habitats. His best photographs are often obtained after spending hours floating amid natural marshlands, half submerged within the dark confines of a floating muskrat house blind.
Upon completing military service as a sergeant with the Fourth Infantry Division in the central highlands of South Vietnam, Washburn returned to Iowa in 1970. His wildlife photos began appearing in Iowa newspapers in 1971 and he began authoring outdoor news columns in 1978. Today, his photos and writing have appeared in over 50 national and international magazines including Outdoor Life, International Wildlife, Field&Stream, Ducks Unlimited, Pointing Dog Journal, the NAFA Journal, and others.
After working as a naturalist for Iowa’s county conservation board system, Washburn was recruited by the Department of Natural Resources in 1984. His primary duties included statewide communication with Iowa newspaper, television, and radio news agencies with a primary goal of increasing the level of public awareness and appreciation for Iowa's natural resources. During his tenure he also served as staff member for the Iowa Conservationist Magazine and for the DNR’s Iowa Outdoors Magazine. Washburn retired from the DNR in 2010.
In addition to wildlife photography, his ongoing outdoor passions include falconry, traditional bow hunting, waterfowling, spending time with hunting dogs of all types, and herpetology.